1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technology allowing a setting item of an image forming apparatus to be changed even in power-saving mode.
2. Background Technology
In order to suppress power consumption, an output apparatus, such as an image forming apparatus, on a network enters power-saving mode in which power supply to a portion that consumes large power, such as a printing unit, is cut off. However, in power-saving mode, no reply can be made to a response from the network to the output apparatus about a setting state. Therefore, in order to check the setting state of the output apparatus, it is required to transmit a packet for making a transition from power-saving mode to normal mode from a terminal device through the network to make a transition from power-saving mode to normal mode, and then check the setting state.
However, returning to normal mode only for the purpose of checking the setting state poses some problems, such as requiring large power consumption and too long time for mode transition.
To solve these problems, in a method, a status register independently of the CPU of the output apparatus is provided and, at the time of making an inquiry about the setting state from the terminal device to the output apparatus in power-saving mode through the network, status information stored in the status register is sent back (Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-99399).
However, in this method, the amount of information with which the output apparatus can respond is extremely small from several bits to several tens of bits storable in the status register. Moreover, although reading the setting information of the output apparatus (responding to an inquiry) is possible, writing (changing the setting information) is impossible.
In another method, an image processing apparatus is provided with a first ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) operating in conjunction with the CPU and a second ASIC that can respond, in conjunction with a network interface, to a signal from a terminal device for requesting a change of power-saving mode of the image processing apparatus, and a startup request signal is transmitted from the terminal device to the second ASIC to start up the first ASIC and the CPU (Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2005-94679).
However, this method is merely a way of starting up the CPU and, a transition to normal mode is still required in order to read and write the setting state of the image processing apparatus.
Therefore, when the setting information, such as user account information, of the image forming apparatus is desired to be changed on the image forming apparatus, it is required to write the setting information of the image forming apparatus. This operation does not require power supply to a printing unit, which consumes power most in the image forming apparatus, and can be performed in power-saving mode, which however cannot be achieved in the conventional technology.